Chapter 1
Meanwhile, an angry man stormed out of a high end restuarant leaving behind a pretty lady.
"Mom, how many times do I have to tell you to stop arranging blind dates for me!"
"Damon, are you rising your voice at me? you know very well that we are doing this for you." After ditching his blind date, Damon went for a drive to calm his anger. "Tsk, for my own good?! Really now, the last time I check I feel accomplished and happy. So you shouldn't bother introducing me to a bunch of spoiled brat women, who only cares about themselves." He felt his temple throbbing after hearing his mom's drama over the phone.
"Fine, we will never bother you again.You never appreciate our efforts of finding you a good wife, being the eldest and a healthy man at that you should have already given us grandchildren to love and spoil but thanks to your unwillingness to marry we will never be a doting grandparents."
Listening to his mom's guilt tripping over and over again, he felt exhausted to the point of considering to marry the girl he left behind at the restuarant. "Stop crying mom, I appreciate the thought of why you wanted me to marry so bad but I'm still not ready to tie the knot. I want to have a happy and lasting marriage just like the marriage you and dad have." While waiting for his mom's reply, Damon parked his car near a children's playground. He then rolled the car's window down to feel the night breeze, feeling its cooling effect he felt somewhat relaxed.
"I'm sorry son for acting out, I'm just envious of your aunt Milly, she just became a grandma to a very cute little baby girl and she just keeps on posting pictures of her adorable granddaughter. I also want to brag about my own grandkids, so because of this selfish desires of mine I keep on nagging and setting up blind dates for you. I am really sorry Damon." He knows how badly his family wants to have grandkids, but unfortunately for them he's still enjoying his bachelor life. Being married to someone never crossed his mind and he will never consider it not until he is around forty or more years old.
"I am sorry if I yelled at you mom, I just felt forced and pressured. Why don't you asked Lance to marry Zoey, it is about time they settle and get married. How many years have they been in a relations.h.i.+p, is it 4 or 5 years?"
"Mmm... five years, that is a good idea. I'll discuss it with Lance as soon as he returned from his business trip. Speaking of my second handsome son, Lance is now entering the house. Gotta go and sorry again, you very well know that mom loves you, I just wish for you and Lance to have someone who will love and cherish the both of you. Me and your dad are getting old and our only wish before we die is to see both of you having a happy family and having cute grandkids to spoil and love."
Hearing the sincerity in his moms voice made him feel a bit guilty, but it wasn't enough to fully convince him to get married and besides he is waiting for her to return. "Damon I don't want to tell you this over the phone but I feel that being the eldest you should know and also because this is also one of the reasons why I keep on pus.h.i.+ng you to marry and to have children soon, it is because your father has a heart problem and it is getting worse." Shocked about the news, Damon felt at lost and soffucated. Feeling sick, he hurriedly stepped outside the car, Damon felt all sorts of emotions at once making him dizzy and disoriented. How come he never saw any signs of his father's sickness, he laughed at how proud he is about accurately reading people's mind and actions but how come he didn't notice his father's sufferings. Damon wandered aimlessly at the playground, still distraught about his father's condition he didn't notice the boy who is eyeing him suspiciously.
"Hey mister, what are you doing here in the park at this time?"
Damon who was not expecting someone at the playground was startled to hear a tiny voice. He looked around and saw a cute little boy sitting on the swing, the boy must be around four to five years old. His brows wrinkled when he figured
"Where's your parent kid? Did you ran away from home?" Damon stopped in front of the kid who was staring at him innocently.
"I asked you first mister, why are you here at the playground this late at night?" The kid was looking at him expecting his question to be answered.
"I am here to think. What about you, did you ran away from home?"
"Nope" the kid said the word with a 'pop' at the letter 'p', "Just like you mister I am also thinking."
With a creased brow, Damon moved to sit beside the kid, "What exactly are you thinking to be outside this late at night?" He is curious to know about this little guy's worries.
The kid moved his tiny little feet back and forth while contemplating if he should tell about his troubles to a complete stranger. Glancing at the mister besides him, Ichigo noticed how handsome he is. He saw plenty of handsome men before because they kept on pestering his mom but this mister is on a new level. And seeing how smartly dressed this stranger is, Ichigo knew that he is rich. Nodding to himself, this guy surely is cut above the rest. His 'father radar' is going off the roof.
Damon can feel the intense stare the kid is giving him, he cursed inwardly at how embara.s.sed he is at the moment, no one can make him feel awkward not even his family but this kid's stare is on a whole new level. He felt like an organism under a microscope.
"Hey kid you never did answer my question?" What is up with this goofy kid, looking at me with a pleased look.
"My name is Ichigo and not kid, do you have a father mister?"
Hearing the question made him remember about his father's condition, he grip the chains of the swing tightly making his knuckles white. "I do have a father, but not for long I guess." He smiled sadly, pain is evident in his voice.
Ichigo tilted his head to have a better look at this mister. "Is he going away?"
Looking at this kid, being curious and all he ruffled his hair. "In a way yes, but he will never return."
Feeling the sadness from mister handsome, Ichigo stood up and went to hug his future father. Yes, Ichigo decided that this handsome mister will be his future father so he will comfort him to gain brownie points.
Surprised by the sudden hug, Damon didn't know what to do. Feeling the warmth from this kid, he returned the hug and in return Ichigo snuggled deep into the embrace.
Ichigo wanting to learn more about his future father asked a question on what it feels like to have father.
Reluctantly letting go off the embrace, Damon had Ichigo sit on his lap. "My brother and I are close to our father. He is our bestfriend, our confidant and our protector. He cherish and love us unconditionally specially our mom. He is a good provider, he spoiled us when we were kids but he never tolerates our wrong doings. All in all I am blessed to have a good man as a father. How about you and your dad?" Reminiscing about their happy memories as a family put a smile on his usually cold face but it instantly vanished when he saw the kid's watery eyes.
"Hey what's wrong? Are you hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital?" Damon panicked when he saw tears rolling down the chubby cheeks of Ichigo. "Hey champ, tell me why are you crying. Come on, it is alright tell this uncle the problem ok?" Damon kept on drying Ichigo's tears, he even used his favorite handkerchief to wipe the snot away.
Feeling a little better, Ichigo told Damon about him having no father and that he wishes to have one. A father who is just like Damon's father. Ichigo narrates how he is being bullied by his cla.s.smates and how his mother strives to provide him food and shelter.
"Am I unlovable mister? why is it that my wishes aren't granted? I just want to have a happy family just like everyone else." Damon felt his heart was being torn apart after hearing Ichigo's agony, he was blessed to have a complete and happy family but lately he is taking that for granted. Hugging the crying child once more, he swear to grant his wish. Granting this child's wish to have a father will not only make Ichigo happy but it will also grant the wish of his parents to have grandkids, it is..h.i.tting two birds with one stone.
Deciding to be an instant father never crossed his mind and if someone told him that one day he will be a father he would probably kick their a.s.s and destroy them for good, but embracing this child made him realize that becoming a father is not that bad instead he feels complete and warm inside.
Feeling a bit embarrased and worried about crying in front of his future father, Ichigo tried to break free from the embrace. Realizing the kid wanting to break free from his embrace, Damon loosen his hug and seeing the tears and snot he proceeds to wipe it away. When the snot and tears are cleaned off, Ichigo jump off Damon's lap. Damon smirked when he saw the blus.h.i.+ng chubby cheek of Ichigo before he turned his back on him, he knows that the kid is feeling embara.s.sed.
"I won't tell your crush about you almost tasting your snot." Damon can't help to tease the child, he laughed when he saw Ichigo glare at him. His chipmunk cheeks are puffed out and his lips is in a pout, what a cute little chimpmunk his son is. Realizing he called Ichigo his son was a pleasant surprise, "Ichigo, I can be your Dad if you want. You can call me Daddy Damon, pops, dad or father or whatever you want."
Ichigo can't believe that Damon will be willing to be his father, he looked at him suspiciously. "Why are you willing to be my dad, we are both strangers to each other, didn't it cross your mind that this may be a scam?"
Damon was dumbfounded, the kids imaginations is wild. "How about you, aren't you afraid that I will abduct you and sell your organs to the black market?"
Ichigo smiled smugly at Damon and answered confidently, "I am not afraid because you're my dad, and I know martial arts mom thought me." Damon felt fuzzy all over when he heard Ichigo called him dad. "But why are you volunteering to be my dad?" Ichigo knows that it is not easy to accept being an instant father, because all his mom's suitor doesn't want him to be part of the family. That is the reason why he felt guilty, because of him his mom can't live comfortably. She always reject suitors who can't accept me as their son, she'll always say that I'm her beloved treasure and that she is already content with just us two in the family. I love my mom so much, that is why I came here at the park to plan on how I can get a father who will love me and mom and I think my wish will be granted right at this moment but first let us here dad's reason for accepting me as his son.
Damon heaved a sigh, "Actually before coming here I was in a blind date arranged by my mother, your future grandma by the way, the purpose of those blind dates is for me to get married and have children, but I refused to be manipulated, specially when it comes to my future but after hearing about dad's worsening condition it got me thinking about granting them their wish to see me married and have kids." He looked over Ichigo and smiled. "Maybe it is fate that brought us together, you need me and I need you. Coming to the decision of adopting you is surprisingly a good choice, firstly because I can grant my parent's wish sooner and secondly I like you calling me dad. Does that answer your question?" For the first time Damon felt nervous of being rejected. He can't explain why is he feeling anxious right at this moment, he knows that if Ichigo rejects him this will leave a huge scar in his heart.
Feeling the sincerity in his dad's voice, Ichigo run towards the anxious Damon halting just mere inches away from him. Ichigo then proceeded to link his pinky to Damon's pinky, "I, Ichigo pinky promise to be a good son to daddy and mommy forever and ever," Ichigo then looked at Damon expectantly and this made Damon laugh heartily. The kid and his quirkiness. "I, Damon swear to be a good father to my chipmunk Ichigo forever and ever."